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Inside new Ireland's Fittest Family judge Andrew Trimble's life off camera

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Andrew Trimble is limbering up to put a new batch of families through their paces as one of three new coaches on Ireland's Fittest Family, but what about his life away from the screen?

Aside from his much-documented career on the rugby pitch playing for Ireland, Andrew has also proven to be a savvy tech entrepreneur and is a devoted father and husband.

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Here's what you need to know about Andrew:

Andrew Trimble of Ireland in action during the RBS Six Nations match between Ireland and Italy at Croke Park. Pic: Getty Images
Andrew Trimble of Ireland in action during the RBS Six Nations match between Ireland and Italy at Croke Park. Pic: Getty Images

Early life

Andrew hails from Coleraine in Northern Ireland and was born in 1984, meaning he turns 41 in 2025.

He attended the Coleraine Academical Institution before going on to take a place studying physics at Queen's University in Belfast, but dropped out after a year.

Andrew, a devout Christian, went on to study Theology at the Belfast Bible College.

Andrew Trimble of Ireland is tackled by Italyâ€s David Odiete at The Aviva Stadium. Pic: Shutterstock
Andrew Trimble of Ireland is tackled by Italy's David Odiete at The Aviva Stadium. Pic: Shutterstock

Rugby career

While at the now shuttered Coleraine Academical Institution, Andrew got bitten by the rugby bug and competed in the Ulster Schools Cup, but it was his father, also a rugby player, who instilled the passion for the sport in him at a young age.

He also lined out for the Ballymena RFC in the AIB League and earned a place on the Ireland U21 squad. He got his big break with the senior squad during the IRB Autumn Internationals in 2005 when he replaced Brian O'Driscoll.

Several months later, he landed a coveted spot on the Six Nations Squad opening game against Italy and was subsequently named as part of the Ireland team in the 2007 Rugby World Cup but perhaps the pinnacle of his career came in 2014 when he scored three tries in the Six Nations, including a vital one in Ireland's final game against France that cinched the title.

His career was plagued with numerous injuries, including ligament damage in his toe, a knee injury, and a broken hand, among others.

When he retired in 2018, he was the most capped Ulster player of all time, but his record has since been surpassed by Rory Best.

Pic: Andrew Trimble/Instagram
Pic: Andrew Trimble/Instagram

Faith

Andrew has been vocal about his faith over the years and has reportedly taken to quoting Psalm 84 before matches, although he has stressed that he didn't draw a correlation between his religion and success on the field.

He has also divulged that having faith has helped him to avoid becoming entirely absorbed in himself and has, on occasion, played the drums in church.

Personal life

Pic: Andrew Trimble/Instagram
Pic: Andrew Trimble/Instagram

It's not clear when Andrew met his wife Anna, but the couple tied the knot in March 2009.

He and Anna went on to welcome three children, Jack, Molly and Katie, who turn ten, eight and six in 2025, and Andrew has spoken of how lockdown was something of a rebirth for his family.

He recalled how, after years of being away from his loved ones because of rugby, lockdown gave him the chance to get to know his family again.

Pic: Andrew Trimble/Instagram
Pic: Andrew Trimble/Instagram

'Everyone just mucked in to help. Overall, it was a really good time for us to spend time together as a family, and now we know each other so well

'I never thought too much about being away from the kids for long periods of time when I was touring and playing rugby. But I was away for six days recently, and I found it very difficult. It has created an environment where we have become a lot closer than we were before,' he told RSVP.

Life after rugby

Pic: Andrew Trimble/Instagram
Pic: Andrew Trimble/Instagram

Andrew didn't quite hang up his rugby boots after stepping back from International rugby and occasionally togs out for Ballymena and Coleraine.

After his retirement in 2018, he set up the tech system Kairos with Gareth Quinn as a means to provide teams with a better way to communicate with their teams.

By 2023, Kairos had some of the biggest sporting teams in the world on its books, including Manchester United and the duo reportedly sold the company for £15m.

Andrew subsequently went on to become general manager of performance for Teamworks, the company that acquired Kairos, but might be facing his toughest challenge to date, whipping families into shape on Ireland's Fittest Family.

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